Chapter 3 - The Fight in the Tunnel

In the tunnel the mist seems to surge up higher ... around their knees ... and the usual torches in the wall sconces have all been extinguished. Occasionally there is a flicker of light from around the edges of the door at the other end of the tunnel ... a glowing reddened light - and then a flare of green ... but what it means none of them know.

Corwin now moves more rapidly than his companions; to him the mist seems no impediment. But the other three are struggling ... it feels to them as though thick mud and not insubtantial mist is sucking at their feet.

And then ... behind them ... a low, threatening growl.

Dara looks over her shoulder and gasps; a lean black shadow of a shape has lifted a monstrously deformed dog head and is watching them from the entrance to the tunnel. As high as one of Julian's hounds it stands, but even more a creature of nightmare. It shakes its massive head, and flecks of foaming blood fly off from its pendulent jowls ... where the flecks connect with the mist, it sizzles.

"Joshua ... with me," says Dara, drawing her sword and turning to confront the beast, trying to afford protection so that the door can be opened and they can all enter.

Joshua nods a reply, and drawing his sword also turns to confront the beast. He maneuvers himself to assist Dara.

"What is it?" he asks as he advances sword outstretched tip pointing towards the creature. "Is it one of us? Like Fiona was in the temple?"

Isadora keeps trying to move forward. Even as she turns back and sees what is behind and heards Dara's cry, her own vision and training tells her that there isn't enough room for them to stand three wide and fight that thing effectively.

"Corwin...get the door!" she calls out after the form of Corwin and will continue to struggle to get the door herself while keeping an eye on Joshua and Dara from behind her. A dagger in her hand and ready to throw it if there is an opening that she can see that would make a hit and not harm Dara or Joshua.

"Did she shapeshift?" Dara asks, not taking her eyes from the beast. "From what you said, I thought her final transfiguration involuntary."

"There was much confusion," says Josdhua, "but yes at the end there was a change, which seemed at first voluntary but later appears to have been consumed. Kalaran was perhaps closer to these creatures! His transformation was quite dramatic."

Even as Dara is talking, she is positioning herself to maximum possible advantage. Joshua matches Dara's positioning, hoping for an opening in the creature's defenses, and attempting to ascertain its fighting style, or intentions.

"This, I think, is a creature of the Darke ... but not one of the family. There is no sense of other about it - it is simply itself.

"And," she added, "liable to attack."

As she speak, the large hound springs forward ... its attack aiming for Joshua's throat ... Dara, on the point of turning to aid him, instead curses low - for another great beast has moved to take the former's place and is watching her steadfastly with glowing red eyes.

Joshua does not answer, but his jaw is set in a grim line of resignation, and he goes on the defensive, to counter the beast's attack, not wishing to open himself, until he has discerned a little more about the creature's relative strengths and weaknesses.

His first blow seems merely to madden the creature who tries to tear at his face with slavering jaws, so that Joshua can feel the hot breath and slobber of the beast.

Beside him, he hears Dara give a sob in her throat - the second beast is springing at her. With lightning speed, born of desperation, Joshua thrusts the dagger in his left hand forward ... then feels the matted rough coat ... a gout of blood covering his hand as the beast's snarls cease and it slides from the blade to the floor.

He turns to aid Dara ... and beholds a strange and terrible thing. The planes of her face have twisted and shifted till she scarce appears human any more - and one inhumanly strong hand has reached out to grab the wolf by its throat and shakes it from side to side.

Dara's demoness face turns to Joshua and she says, "I ... can't hold him ... forever! Stab him!"

Quickly he does so and this beast too collapses ... but Joshua becomes aware that even as he withdraws his blade, a third hell hound is leaping for him. Instinctively he ducks and then crouches, waiting to feel the fangs ... but ....

Nothing. He looks up, straightens, and sees the third hound dead at his feet ... with Isadora's blade in his throat.

Dara, human once more, rests against the wall, panting. She looks up at the two young Amberites and smiles. "Harder ... harder to keep shape ... when ... under pressure," she gasps. "Corwin! Have you ... "

"The Door is sealed against us ... from the inside," says Corwin grimly. Either they must open it ... or we must break through."

He raises his fists and gives the door a mighty pounding. It sways for a moment.

Isadora bends down to retreive her dagger as Corwin pounds the door.

Then, terrifyingly close, there comes a long, drawn out howl. And another.

Peering into the mist, they can see that at least four more hounds are circling to door.

"Joshua - Dara - you can try to throw one of these dead hell hounds as they come in. It should slow them down. Small space is going to keep them from being able to circle us. I'll back you up. Corwin...please hurry."

Isadora's eyes are to the mists and she holds daggers in both hands. It's hard to see her face in the darkness, but she seems to know what she is doing and isn't willing to leave the spot that they worked hard enough to get to.

"Hell-hound hurling was never something that came up in class." Joshua replies, a small smile creeping across his face. Nevertheless he attempts to pick up one of the bodies and will attempt to hurl it if any more approach.

"Here they come again!" Dara cries.

"Oh Great!" mutters Joshua in reply and steels himself ready for the next onslaught.

Together, Dara and Joshua bend down and HEAVE! a heavy carcase over toward the entrance of the tunnel. It hits the first hell hound full square in the chest - he falls under the blow, and then rises, clearly with a broken leg. Without hesitation, two more of the hell hounds fall on their injured comrade and tear it to pieces. Then they advance agsin, two abreast this time, the mouths bloody and snarling.

Dara and Joshua bend ... lift .... and HEAVE! the next hell hound. But this carcase falls short, and the two new hell hounds simply leap on top of it and regard their prey.

"Corwin," says Dara, "I really would appreciate it if you could open that door."

"Yes," agrees Joshua. "I am forced to concur with Lady Dara, Uncle, it would be most fortuitous if we could make an exit sometime soon!"

"I'm trying," responds Corwin, irritably.

He withdraws as far as he can, until he is backed against Isadora, then he RUNS at the door and smahes his shoulder against it. The door gives a little, creaking and groaning.

And then, as if synchronised, both the hell hounds spring forward, aiming for vulnerable throats ...

With quickness of her own, Isadora was prepared for this moment. As one of the Hounds where coming forward, she aimed her dagger at the eye of throat of the hound. Then knowing her best weapon was gone, she waited for the next one to lead and strike it. All the while trying to give Corwin enough room to get the door down.

Even as the hound was springing, Dara, with a low curse that became a growl, was shifting. Again the unnatural hand, now more of a claw ... grabbed for the animal's throat. But this time it failed to connect .... instead the savage claws raked over the animal's chest, then its side as its momentum knocked Dara backwards off her feet ...

And then it was on top of her, howling in pain.

Isadora's arm quivered slightly at the sound, but she had aimed at the animal attacking Joshua and her aim was true; the knife descended into its throat. But the thick fur deflected it slightly so that the maddened beast carried foward ... onto Joshua's waiting sword. He wrenched it free of the dying hound and turned to aid Dara.

But Corwin had been quicker. As the hounds attacked, he had turned his head ... when Dara had fallen, he slewed round, Grayswindir in his hand and plunging forward deep ... deep ... spitting the beast where he stood. Then he picked up the great beats and threw it with all the force he could muster (which was considerable), so that it left the tunnel and crashed to the ground of the cavern beyond.

Then he bent and over his hand to Dara with all the ceremony of a knight offering to lead his lady onto the floor of the ballroom. Dara caught at it and rose, and for a heartbeat they gazed at each other.

Then Dara smiled. "Again you save me."

"And all in vain if we cannot open this door," he retorted. "Look to the tunnel ... "

And he turned again to the door, to batter again again.

The other three turn again ...

No hell hounds now, to their relief ....

And then ... the mist of the cavern floor starts to bubble and boil like a hell broth ... and a monstrous head arises ... a reptilian head ... like the head of a snake ... or a sea serpent ...

Twelve feet above their heads it rears, its fangs dripping poison ... its snake body coiled below ... except ... with a monstrous CRACK! it sends its long tail, three foot in diameter, lashing down into the tunnel to sweep them from their feet ...

Isadora watched the creature rise...looking for a soft spot on its face to strike before it came closer with the poisen. But then suddenly she was off her feet.

Her training through the years taught her how to roll and she did this as quick as she could to get back up on her feet. With the dagger she stabs any part of the creature that she can that is next to her as she tries to scramble to a better position. With a strange hope, she hopes the creature will see Joshua as a greater threat then herself. If she could just get close enough to get a clear knife throw to the creature's eye. She would take that option. Otherwise, she will try to help and attack with her rapier if needed.

Joshua curses under his breath wishing he was with Uncle Bendict, but resigning himself to the fact that he is going to get bloody on this one.

"Nevermind..." he mutters, "...I s'pose its worth it!"

Joshua sets himself, stealing himself with a grim determination ready to receive the beast.

The serpent raises its head high for a long hisssssss then lowers with devastating speed, the long forked tail shooting out and wrapping Joshua around the waist. Inexorably, he is drawn forward, out of the tunnel towards the gaping poisonous maw, as he stabs desperately at the thick slimy tongue, and tries to reach the evil snub snot of the beast.

Dara springs forward and starts to use her rapier like a saw, to slash through the tongue, even as Isadora lets fly with her final dagger ...

It takes the beast in the eye and the ugly head rears up ... pulling Joshua with it and then ...

Dara give a cry of triumpgh as she saws through the last few filaments and the tongue parts, the serpent drawing back in hissing agony even as Isadora pulls Joshua forwards to the relative safety nearer the door.

There are a few seconds panting pause. Then Dara, leaning against the wall, give a low cry of horror and points to Joshua's waist, still wrapped with the serpent's tongue.

Only it is melting, changing into a vile, slimy black oils that trickles slowly to form a puddle on the floor. And then the puddle starts to move, almost as though it had a mind of its own, challenging gravity as it runs away up the tunnel back towards the piled carcases of the hell hounds.

And now they watch with incredulous horror, they see the dead hell hounds to begin to melt into the black oily substance ...

Until the mist rises and covers all ...

"What is it ... " begins Dara. But the answer is only too plain as another serpent head, slowly, surely, begins to rise above the mist.

Corwin has turned his head to watch, and now speaks.

"Joshua, come here. If we make the next effort together, we should splinter the door at least. Isadora ... try to go forward. See if you can find any of your throwing daggers where those carcases were .... I think we might need them."

Lastly he looks at Dara. "My Lady, I need you to buy me thirty seconds of time .. "

She nods, then bows her head. And even as the second serpent slowly starts to rise, she draws a deep, deep breath ...

Isadora hardly needed Corwin's words to prompt her. Her eyes could see quite well in the gloom as she was trained for such things.

She dived down into the murk, keeping her head above the mist - but reaching out with her hands ... slowly .... a blade ... the hilt ... She grabbed it!

Then again ... slowly ... reaching. It seemed to take an age - and was perhaps five seconds. Then she felt the hilt of another blade. In an instant it too was in her hand. Slowly she rose, pulling away from the mist that sucked at her glutinously ...

And saw Dara ... rising ... now long human but a demoness of power and inhuman aspect, growing taller ... and taller ...

"Unicorn protect us," she muttered under her breath and prepared for the attack.

Josuha obediently obeys his Uncle's request, moving to assist him with the door. He finds himself a complimentary position next to Corwin, in order to facilitate the maximum strength from his thin, small frame.

Joshua glances over his shoulder at Isadora and Dara, concerned for their safety, and eager to get the door open to afford them all a safer area.

Joshua looks to Corwin, awaiting the signal to 'go' for the door.

"Now!" bellowed Dara, with all the force of augmented lungs.

Isadora threw the daggers ... One catching on the scales, and being shrugged off with contemptuous ease. The second flew straight for the eye, and even as it hit, Dara was moving forward, her rapier stabbing forward.

Clovis and Joshua rushed at the door with all their force. The door bulged ... there was a sickening crack ... and a panel exploded inward.

"Benedict!" roared Corwin. "In the name of the Unicorn, get this bloody door open - before we are all killed!"

 

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